Wimmen's Comix
Wimmen's Comix, later titled Wimmin's Comix, was an influential all-female underground comics anthology published by Last Gasp from 1972 to 1992, running 17 issues in total. The title proved a launching pad for many cartoonists' careers, and inspired other small-press and self-published titles. Fantagraphics released a complete hardcover, two-volume boxset of the series in March 2016, including its predecessor ''It Ain't Me Babe''. History Wimmen's Comix debuted a few years after the publication of the 1970 one-shot (also published by Last Gasp) It Ain't Me Babe, the first American comic book entirely produced by women, and put together by Trina Robbins, the most prolific and influential of the women cartoonists in the underground scene. The first issue of Wimmen's Comix was edited by musician and artist Pat Moodian. Originally, the group behind Wimmen's Comix was not an official collective, but rather a few women artists who came together with a common interest to create at least one comic that women could get paid to be in, in a male-dominated comix culture. It was also notable for its revolutionary editorial approach. Terry Richards recalls: :"We decided that we would produce an on-going title of comics by women and that we would function as a collective, a term used rather loosely in those days to mean there would be no leader or editor, but instead a rotating editorship, with everyone contributing their energy to the paperwork and general supportiveness of the group."Wimmen's Comix Lambiek page Each edition was edited by two different women, working together, with lots of feedback from the group, which met regularly in San Francisco, so no one person wielded too much control over the series. In contrast to the "old boys' club" of the male-dominated underground comix, anyone (as long as they were women) was invited to submit work to Wimmen's Comix. Though it covered a wide range of genre and subject matter, Wimmen's Comix focused more than other anthologies of the time on feminist concerns, homosexuality, sex and politics in general, and autobiographical comics. In 1992, for issue #17, the title was changed to Wimmin's Comix following a discussion over the gender politics of words containing "man" or "men". This and other political conflicts within the collective, along with financial difficulties and the increasing availability of other venues for independent female cartoonists, led to the end of the series after that issue. Many underground and alternative female cartoonists launched their careers in the pages of Wimmen's Comix. The series also led to further female-focused titles being launched, including ''Tits & Clits Comix'', Dyke Shorts, ''Twisted Sisters'', and Dynamite Damsels; several of Wimmen's Comix contributors subsequently created comics that appeared in these titles. Issues WimmensComix01.jpg|Issue 1 WimmensComix02-censored.jpg|Issue 2 WimmensComix03-censored.jpg|Issue 3 WimmensComix04.jpg|Issue 4 WimmensComix05.jpg|Issue 5 WimmensComix06.jpg|Issue 6 WimmensComix07.jpg|Issue 7 WimmensComix08.jpg|Issue 8 WimmensComix09.jpg|Issue 9 WimmensComix10.jpg|Issue 10 WimmensComix11.jpg|Issue 11 WimmensComix12.jpg|Issue 12 WimmensComix13.jpg|Issue 13 WimmensComix14.jpg|Issue 14 WimmensComix15.jpg|Issue 15 WimmensComix16.jpg|Issue 16 WimminsComix17.jpg|Issue 17 BestOfWimmensComix.jpg|''Best of Wimmen's Comix'' (Hassle Free Press, 1979) CompleteWimmensComix.jpg|''The Complete Wimmen's Comix'' (Fantagraphics, 2016) Issue 1 Editor: Pat Moodian Cover by Pat Moodian *'A Neurotic Woman' by Aline Kominsky *'A Teenage Abortion' by Lora Fountain *'All in a Day's Work' by Lee Marrs *'Can This Marriage Be Saved?' by Shelby Sampson *'Sandy Comes Out' by Trina Robbins *'There I Was '''by Michele Brand *'Tales of Satvia''' by Sharon Rudahl *'Frog' by Karen Marie Haskell *'The Cyborgs' by Pat Moodian Issue 2 "The Anthology of Women Cartoonists" Editor: Lee Marrs Cover by Edna Jundis *'Wonder Bread' by Shelby Sampson *'Hard Work and No Fun' by Aline Kominsky *'Home Agin' by Diane Noomin *'The S.B.I. Story' by Carol Clement *'Star Cake' by Salina and Kay Rudin *'The Believers' by Pat Moodian *'Overload' by Sharon Rudahl and Trina Robbins *'So, Ya Wanna Be An Artist' by Lee Marrs *'Movin' to the Country' by Lora Fountain *'My Deadly, My Love' by Lee Marrs *'Women's Lib' by Margery Peters *'You Are What You Know' by Michele Brand *Back Cover by Terry Balawejder Issue 3 Fun & Games Issue Editor: Sharon Rudahl Cover by Lee Marrs *'A Sordid Affair' by Dot Bucher *'Rip Van Rosie' by Trina Robbins *'Super Gilia' by Melinda Gebbie (as Clothilde) *'Fucked Up' by Debbie Holland *'Turn 'Em On' by Shelby Sampson *'The Great American Dream Scream Game' by Melinda Wentzell *'The Agony and the Ecstasy of a Shayna Madee' by Diane Noomin *'Ever-ready Sta-hard Inflatable Man' by Sharon Rudahl *'Another Throb' by Willy Mendes *'Galactic Freebooter' by Sharon Banks and Moria Wright *'One Night Stand' by Simone Bressler *'ReActionary Comics' by Margery Peters (as Petchesky) *'Feedback' by Debbie Holland and Melinda Wentzell *back cover by Sharon Rudahl Issue 4 Editor: Shelby Sampson Cover by Shelby Sampson *'Hot to Trot' by Terry Richards *'She Chose Crime' by Diane Noomin *'In a Paranoid Vein' by Shelby Sampson *'Cyberfenetics' by Lee Marrs *'The Neighborhood Know-It-All' by Lee Marrs *'Ms Gazzolina Tindert' by Melinda Gebbie *'Goldie Gets By' by Aline Kominsky *'A Modern Romance' by Roberta Gregory *'Stiff Competition' by Terry Richards *'When a Woman is a Man' by Dot Bucher *'The Dread Platform Shoe Addiction of 1974' by Trina Robbins *'Blood Money' by Mark Salditch and Becky Wilson *'Weremother' by Barb Brown and Sharon Banks *Back cover by Sharon Rudahl Issue 5 International Editor: Trina Robbins and Terry Richards Cover by Becky Wilson *'Getcha Red Hot Comics for Women Here' by Trina Robbins *'The Ugliest Woman in the World' by Trina Robbins *'Ballbreakers' by Peti Buchel *'Weight Watchers' by Terry Richards *'Doin' It! '''by Joyce Farmer *'Untitled''' by Cathy Millet *'My Kitty Loves to Do the ChaChaCha' by Melinda Gebbie *'Sock Song' by Shelby Sampson *'Untitled' by Cathy Millet *'Die Bubbeh' by Sharon Rudahl *'Styrofoam Funnies' by Barb Brown *'Untitled' by Cathy Millet *'Tiger Lily of Saigon' by Dot Bucher *'Short Skirts' by Terry Richards, Pat Daley and Lyn Joy Kroeger *Back cover by Lee Marrs Issue 6 Special Bicentennial Issue Edited by Becky Wilson and Barb Brown Cover by Shary Flenniken *'Victoria the Woodhull' by Michele Brand and Mary Skrenes *'The Underground Railroad' by Dot Bucher *'ReActionary Comics' by Margery Peters *'The Genteel Life of Amalia Pearsall' by Christine Powers *'The Sisters of Salem' by Terry Richards *'The River of Separation' by Cecily Lang *'Katy Cruel' by Sharon Rudahl *'Queen Liliuokalani' by Edna Jundis *'The First White Woman in America' by Sharon Farber and Moria Wright *'Frontier Artist '''by Roberta Gregory *'The Lords of Creation''' by Barb Brown *'Female Troubles' by Sharon Farber *'10c a Dance' by Melinda Gebbie *'Equal Rites' by Joyce Farmer *'She Never Lost Spirit' by Shelby Sampson *'Lucky Lady' by Trina Robbins Issue 7 Outlaws Edited by Melinda Gebbie and Dot Bucher Cover by Melinda Gebbie *'Felonious Fashion for the Fatal Femme' by Margery Peters *'Pirates' by Rae Page Stimler *'Protecting Yer Morals' by Roberta Gregory *'Temporary Sanity' by Dot Bucher *'That's Marjorie Munster The Avenger' by Chris Powers *'Chapstick' by Terry Richards *'Corruption's Gleam' by Heather Green *'Petite Morte' by Joey Epstein *'Moonshine Mama' by Lee Marrs *'A Life of Her Own' by Joyce Farmer Sutton *'Basket Case' by Shelby Sampson *'The Confectionary' by Melinda Gebbie *'The Parking Ticket' by Cecily Lang *'Jailbreak at Harmosille' by Sharon Rudahl *'Strangers in the Night' by Michele Jurras *'Dare You Read On?' by Melinda Gebbie *'Back Cover' by Dot Bucher Issue 8 The 21st Century Woman Edited by Kathryn LeMieux and Lee Binswanger Cover by Trina Robbins *'Equal Rites' by Lee Marrs *'Seven Deep Psychological Problems' by Lynda Barry *'Calling All Pests' by Lee Binswanger *'Holding a Torch' by Caryn Leschen *'Sister Blister Undercover Nun Goes on Holiday' by Ann Hagler *'Virginia's Story' by Virginia Lombard and Dori Seda *'Partners' by Terry Richards *'More Sick Cat Jokes' by Terry Boyce *'The Mysogynist' by Carol Lay *'Shop' by Lee Binswanger *'Private Display' by Phoebe Gloeckner *'The Garden Party' by Trina Robbins *'Harry's Revenge' by Kathryn LeMieux *'Unhomogenized Humor'by Mary Willshire *'Effluvium Mantis Canto' by Terre Balaweider and Larry Gonick *'My Resting Place' by Sharon Rudahl *'Sliding' by Lee Binswanger *'I Really Had a Ball Last Night' by Dalison Darrow *'Bar Favorites' by Lee Binswanger *'Back cover: "Rollerettes Against Change"' by Melinda Gebbie Issue 9 Women At Work Editors: Caryn Leschen and Rosemary Dinegar Cover Artist: Lee Marrs *'Introduction: "What do Matzo Balls have to do with Success?"': written by Caryn Leschen *'Liadan and Curithir': written, pencilled, and inked by Trina Robbins, lettered by L. Lois Buhalis *'A Typical Day at the Office': by Lee Binswanger *'An Epidemic... Cured by the Pen': by Joyce Farmer *'Tales of an L.A. Plaything': by Melinda Gebbie *'Overheard at America's Lunch Counters': by Susan Catherine *'Those Girl Butchers - Ground Chuck': by Kathryn LeMieux *'I Can't Work Today': by M.K. Brown *'The Bunch - Mommie Dearest Bunch': by Aline Kominsky *'Semantics': by Dallison Darrow *'Violet - Violet in Paris': by Caryn Leschen *'DiDi Glitz - Utterly Private Eye': by Diane Noomin *'Vocational Training': by Phoebe Gloeckner *'The Day I Forgot How...': by Rosemary Dinegar *'More Fun Than Food Stamps': by Joyce Farmer *'Multiple Choice': by Mary Wilshire *'The Young and the Professional': by Leslie Ewing *'Coping With Stress For Under One Dollar': by Lynda Barry *'I Was a Broadway B-Girl (For a Day)': by Leslie Sternbergh *'What Did You Learn Today?': by Sharon Rudahl *'- Rejected': written, pencilled, and inked by Dori Seda, lettered by Tom Orezechowski Issue 10 International Politically Incorrect Fetish Issue Edited by Joyce Farmer Cover by Joyce Farmer *'The Cowboy as a Politically Incorrect International Fetish' by Carel Moiseiwitsch *'Madame X from Planet Sex' by Mary Fleener *'The Feeling is Mutual Wild Kingdom' by Virginia Small *'Rubberware' by Diane Noomin *'Zog Nit Keyn Mol (The Partisans Song)' by Trina Robbins and Sharon Rudahl, based on a poem by Hirsh Glick *'Good Morning' by Roberta Gregory *'The Toilets of Europe' by Caryn Leschen *'Happy Hour' by Viviane Katz *'Violet's Wedding Song' by Caryn Leschen *'God Gets Pissed' by Kathryn LeMieux *'The Adventures of Mr. Garbage-Eater' by Dori Seda *'Anarchy in the 21st Century' by Myra Hancock *'Buzz-Off' by Leslie Ewing *'Menage A Trois' by Lee Binswanger *'Fetus Fetish Funnies' by Joyce Farmer *'Modemorphose' by Cécilia Capuana (reprinted from Ah ! Nana, Issue 4) *'Shipping and Receiving' by Krystine Kryttre *'Yuppie Love' by Severin *'Housebroken' by Debra Rooney Issue 11 Fashion Confidential Editors: Krystine Kryttre and Dori Seda Cover by Diane Noomin *'Shoe Thing' by Trina Robbins and L. Lois Buhalis *'Showtime' by Mary Fleener *'Killer Shoes' by Leslie Sternbergh *'Glitz Tips' by Diane Noomin *'Raggy Mood' by Krystine Kryttre *'Dress for Success' by Bugs Herbert *'Fashion as a Losing Battle!' by Dori Seda *'Anticipating the Apocalypse, Nuclear Style' by Carel Moiseiwitsch *'Everybody Loves a Fat Girl' written by Dori Seda, art by Barb Rausch *'"I Dreamt I Went Shopping at a Mahh-velous New Store..."' paper dolls by Bugs Herbert, Krystine Kryttre, Diane Noomin, Caryn Leschen, Sophie & Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Trina Robbins, Lee Binswanger. and Dori Seda *'Control of AIDS' by Joyce Farmer *'Accessory Dos & Don'ts', written by Rebecka Wright and Angela Bocage, art by Angela Bocage *'Be Yourself' by Caryn Leschen *'Melrose' by Sharon Rudahl *'Dykes To Watch Out For' by Alison Bechdel *'Dress Code' by Aline Kominsky-Crumb *'Barbie at 30+' by Kathryn LeMieux *'Ot Init' by Melinda Gebbie *'Party Time' by Lee Binswanger (back cover) Issue 12 3-D Edited by Angela Bocage and Rebecka Wright Cover by Carol Lay 3-D Effects: Ray Zone *'Breathtaking Bombshells Battle the Bratwurst' by Angela Bocage and Rebecka Wright *'Closed Circuit' by Carol Lay *'The Story of Joe O' by Dori Seda *'Alice's Vanishing Act' by Lee Binswanger *'Louis, Louis' by Cynthia Martin and L. Lois Buhalis *'Just Say "Oh Wow"' by Caryn Leschen *'Good Dog' by Krystine Kryttre *'The Insult That Made a Musician Out of Mel' by Rebecka Wright and Blanche Santa Ana *'Ars Longa' by Trina Robbins *'Why We Do It' by Angela Bocage *'Urbanus Jockitus '''by Leslie Ewing *'A Blonde Grows in Brooklyn''' by Diane Noomin *'Wild Heat #1' by Angela Bocage *'Going Through Heavy Changes' by Lee Binswanger Issue 13 Occult Issue Editors: Lee Binswanger and Caryn Leschen Cover by Krystine Kryttre *'The Visit' by Trina Robbins *'Ladies' by Carol Tyler *'The Magic Lemon '''by Caryn Leschen *'Hoodoo Voodoo''' by Leslie Ewing *'Beyond Reason '''by Joey Epstein *'The Night''' by Cécilia Capuana *'Becoming Normal' by Judy Becker *'Clair de Lune' by Rebecka Wright, Barb Rausch and Angela Bocage *'Ella Gets Her Man' by Pauline Murray and Suzy Varty *'Futures' by Angela Bocage *'Emil's Cafe' by Lee Binswanger *'The Dead Girl' by William Clark and Mary Fleener *'Voodoo Woman' by Carel Moiseiwitsch Issue 14 Disastrous Relationships Edited by Trina Robbins and Deni Loubert Cover by Trina Robbins *'People with whom it is well worthwhile cultivating a warm, personal relationship' by Sharon Rudahl *'Editorelle' by Trina Robbins *'Magda Meets the Little Men in the Woods' by Phoebe Gloeckner *'1st Crush Crushed' by Joey Epstein *'Trauma Mama!' by Mary Fleener *'Loser in Love' written by Kate Worley and art by Jackie Urbanovic *'Don't Ask' by Diane Noomin *'Mid-Dyke Crisis #382' by Leslie Ewing *'Disastrous Relationshipsland' by Caryn Leschen *'Dinnertime at the Sweetness and Light' by Lee Binswanger *'Sweet Miss Lee' by Carol Tyler *'On the Edge' written by Deni Loubert and art by Angela Bocage *'God and the Devil Get Seriously Pissed' by Kathryn LeMieux *'Guaranteed Get-Over-It Kit' by Roberta Gregory *'Hungry For Love' by Julie Hollings *'Self Defense' by Jennifer Camper *'New Age Same Old Shit' (back cover) by Angela Bocage Issue 15 Little Girls Editors: Phoebe Gloeckner and Angela Bocage Cover by Phoebe Gloeckner *'Latency Come Lately' by Mark Burbey, Angela Bocage *'Baby Butch Dyke' by Leslie Ewing *'The Day Kennedy Was Shot' by Judy Becker *'Rooge & Pu' by Lee Marrs *'Coming of Age in Canarsie' by Diane Noomin *'When I Have a Little Girl' by Sophie Crumb *'Girlfriend' by Sharon Rudahl *'You know, I'm a very shy girl' by Julie Doucet *'Catholic School' by Penny Moran Van Horn *'Nose Job' by Aline Kominsky-Crumb *'The Mitt' by Alison Bechdel *'Zuzka's Shake-up' by Lucie Kalouskova *'Where is the Efeil Tower' by Olivia Clavel *'Highschool Cut-Out' by Linda Crothers *'The Glasses from Hell' by Lee Binswanger *'It's Only a Matter of Time' by Angela Bocage *'Rooge & Pu' by Lee Mars *'The First Time I Shaved My Legs' by Julie Doucet *'Tampax Again' by Julie Doucet *'Setting Limits' by Terry Richards *'Evolution' by Caryn Leschen *'Self-Portrait' by M. K. Brown *'Sometimes' by Deni Loubert, J. Grasberger *Pinup by Angela Bocage Issue 16 Men Edited by Rebecka Wright Cover by Carol Tyler *'Nina's Adventures in Santa Cruz' by Nina Paley *'Het Boys Say the Darnedest Things' by Jennifer Camper *'Meet Marvin Mensch' by Diane Noomin *'"Men" & "Women"' by Roberta Gregory *'A "Nice" Girl' and Julie Hollings *'The Sad Tale of the Visible Woman & Her Invisible Man' by Phoebe Gloeckner *'Sitting Pretty' by Lee Binswanger *'Diary of a Guy' by Trina Robbins *'Rust Belt Romance' by Angela Bocage *'In Memoriam' by Phoebe Adams *'Sweet Delusions' by Donna Barr *'My Friend Timmy' by Judy Becker *'Sons & Lovers' by Angela Bocage *'Roger Hawke' (back cover) by Barb Rausch Issue 17 Giant 44-Page Kvetch Issue Edited by Caryn Leschen Cover by Caryn Leschen *'Mom Gets Sick!' by Trina Robbins *'Wanda Roux in Douche Bag Lady' by Cheela Smith *'I Married a Hypochondriac' by Diane Noomin *'Caretaker Blues' by Andrea Natalie *'Them Same Ole Blues Again' by Suzy Varty *'Dear Dr. Dean Edell' by Aline Kominsky-Crumb *'I've Got You Under My Skin' by Carole Tyrrell *'Typical Brooklyn Diner' by Caryn Leschen *'Hormone Hostages' by S.E. Mills *'Prickophobia' by Angela Bocage *'There's No Such Thing As a Pregnant Silence' by Penny Moran Van Horn *'Prone-Joan' by Joan Hilty *'Better Living Through Chemistry' by Phoebe Gloeckner *'Gyno Cops' by Nancy Husari *'Transference' by M.K. Brown *'Obsession' by Judy Becker *'A Legacy from My Mother...' by Jackie Urbanovic *'National Health Care' by Leslie Ewing *'Nina's Wonderful World of P.M.S.' by Nina Paley *'Achoo!! (My Adult Life in a Nutshell)' (back cover) by Lee Binswanger Legacy , Nancy Husari, Caryn Leschen, Sharon Rudahl, Trina Robbins, Terry Richards, Ron Turner, Rebecka Wright, Lee Marrs, Becky Wilson|300x300px]]From November 10, 2012 to February 7, 2013, the San Francisco Public Library exhibited a retrospective of Wimmen's Comix work, curated by Terry Richards.SFPL Exhibits: The 40th Anniversary of Wimmen's Comix 1972 - 2012 Contributer Aline Kominsky-Crumb, whose first published comics work appeared in Wimmen's Comix #1, has mixed feelings about the title: :When I look back at those early Wimmen’s Comix, they are just terrible. The work is so bad, it’s so unprofessional. A lot of it’s not funny; a lot of it is sort of humor impaired real militant feminist stuff that’s silly. Not much of it holds up. The good part of it was that everybody got a chance; it was very democratic. The bad part was there was no quality control.Aline Crumb on Women Cartoonists and Autobiographical Comics, ICv2.com. Published 5 Dec 2012; Accessed 5 Dec 2012. The Complete Wimmen's Comix was published by Fantagraphics in 2016, edited by Trina Robbins. It also included It Ain't Me Babe and an introduction by Robbins. The collection won the 2017 Eisner Award for Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books. External Links *ComicBookDB *Last Gasp store References Category:Underground comix Category:Comic Books Category:Publications Category:Organizations Category:Exhibitions